Portable garage



Oct. 21, 1958 E. c. ONEAL 2,856,941

, yoflmmcmqs Filed March 19, 1957 a Sheet s-She et 1 v I Earl C. ONea/ IN VEN TOR.

o v BY M Oct. 21-, 1958 E. c. 'O'NEAL PORTABLE GARAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1957 'Neal IN VEN TOR.

' Oct. 21, 1958 E. c. ONEAL 2,855,941

' PORTABLE GARAGE Filed March 19, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet .s

Earl G. 0'Nea/ IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 2 PORTABLE GARAGE Earl C. ONeal, Youngstown, Ohio Application March 19, 1957, Serial No. 647,004

1 Claim. (Cl. 135-1) This invention relates to a portable enclosure.

An object of the invention is to provide a demountable portable enclosure which is both practical and sturdy, being comparatively easy to assemble and once assembled, providing a very rigid and strong construction.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a portable enclosure of the type which uses tubing for the structural frame, there being an improved and novel manner of assembling the parts, the manner of assembling involving exceedingly simplified couplings and fittings that are not dependent on a very large number of adjustments, machine bolts, wing nuts and like fasteners commonly encountered in inventions of this nature. Rather, the invention contemplates the simple slip-type fittings that are held together by friction and also by the form fitting of the cover which is tightly laced thereon and which holds the structural framework firmly connected together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a versatile portable and demountable enclosure which may be used for many purposes and which is so constructed that it may be made of various sizes without alteration of the structural organization.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portable enclosure which is constructed in accordance with the invention, parts of the cover being removed to show internal construction; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the structural frame that constitutes a part of the enclosure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the means for connecting the two parts of the ridge pole of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts shown in section and showing principally the brace at one side of the structural frame for the enclosure and also showing in section one of the quick connect and disconnect couplings made by simplified fittings, this view being taken approximately on the line 44 of Figure 2;

- Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2 and showing the way that one end of the ridge pole is connected to the front bow of the frame;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling in Figure 4;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing principally the means for attaching the cover to the structural frame of the portable enclosure;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of the door of the portable enclosure, showing principally a suggested means of latching the door in the closed position; and

ice

Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the upper edge of the door and a ring by which the upper edge is suspended from a hanger near the top of the enclosure.

In the accompanying drawings there is a portable enclosure 10 of the type which is capable of being demounted and moved to any location. There is a vast number of uses for a portable enclosure and all uses are contemplated by the invention. The enclosure could be used for a garage, for contractors, equipment, for sporting, boat storage, etc. The structural frame 12 (Figure 2) of the portable enclosure consists of six bows 14, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 respectively, these bows functioning as rafters and studs. They are made of tubing, but other forms that are considered to be practical may be adopted. Each bow, for example how 14, has a pair of parallel sides 21 and 22 and a connecting rafter part 23 which is joined to the sides by smoothly curved portions of the how.

The lower ends of each of the six bows are secured to the base stringers 24 and 26 which are parallel to each other and which are also made of tubing. Ridge pole 28 is secured to the front and rear bows 14 and 20 and seats firmly upon the intermediate part of the center bows 16, 17, 15 and 19 respectively. Four braces 30, 31, 32 and 33 respectively extend diagonally from the front and rear bows 14 and 20 to the stringers 24 and 26 and are joined to each. Front and rear sill members 34 and 36 respectively are connected to the stringers 24 and 26. They extend across the stringers and are joined to each thereby holding the stringers and sill members in a rectangular base frame formation.

Ridge pole 28 is made in two sections 40 and 41, the sections being connected together by a fitting 42 (Figure 3). The fitting consists of a short stud 43 which also may be made of tubing, the stud being fitted in the tubular open end of the section 40 and held in place, as by being crimped at 44 or by other standard means. The opposite end of stud 43 fits quite tightly in the bore 45 of section 41 and is thereby held in place by friction between the stud and the walls of bore 45. Stringers 24 and 26 are constructed in the same way.

The fore and aft ends of the ridge pole 28 are joined to the bows 14 and 20 respectively by fittings 46 and 47, the fitting 46 being shown in detail in Figure 6. The front end of ridge pole 28 is flattened to form a rectangular pocket 48 in which tongue 50 is fitted. The tongue is rectangular in cross section, being made of two plates interconnected at their ends by collars 51. The collar has the center part of how 14 passed through it.

Each bow is made in two pieces. The two pieces-are joined at approximately the center of the bow, and a fitting interconnects the two pieces. The fitting consists of a stud 52 for each bow, the stud being joined to one part and fitted in the bore of the other part just as fitting 42 interconnects the sections of the ridge pole.

The lower ends of each bow connect to stringers 24 and 26 by identical means. These are shown best in Figures 7 and 4 for how 14. Fitting 55 is made of a flattened end 56 on side 21 of bow 14, and the flattened hollow end has a rectangular recess or socket 57, (Figure 4) with a shoulder 58 at its inner end. Tongue 59, the same as tongue 50, is made of two parallel plates with collars 60 joining the outer ends thereof. This collar is fitted over the stringer 24 enabling the tongue 59 to be inserted into the recess 57 and frictionally held in place. Cotter keys 61 and 62 are passed through holes 63 and 64 in stringer 24 in order to form stops which find and retain the proper location for fitting 55 on stringer 24.

Front and rear sill members 34 and 36 are connected by fittings such as fitting 65 (Figure 7) to the stringers 24 and 26. Fittings 65 is practically identical to fitting and consists of a flattened end 66 on sill member 34, the flattened end having a rectangular recess in which tongue 67 is separably fitted and held in place by friction. Collar 68 on shaft 24 joins the two plates which make up tongue 67. Collars 68 and abut each other between cotter keys 61 and 62 in order to preserve a firm junction at this point. Cotter key 76 is passed through aligned holes 71 and 72 in the socket and tongue which makes up fitting thereby preventing inadvertent separation at this point.

Braces 30, 31, 32 and 33 at the four corners of the frame 12 are each made identically. Noting brace 30 (Figure 4) it will be seen that it is made of a rod havthreaded ends 77 and 78 which are jointed to fitting 79 and 80. Their flat ends are between the ears of collars 81 and 82 and are held in place by means of bolt and nut assemblies 83 and 84. Collars 81 and 82 are secured in adjusted places respectively on the how 14 and stringer The cover of the portable enclosure is made of impregnated canvas, nylon or any other flexible material that is deemed suitable for the purpose. It is of importance that the cover be made to fit rather tightly over the frame and securely held in place so that the cover (Fig. 8) aids in holding all of the joints of the pieces and parts of the frame assembled. Accordingly, the cover is made of a substantially rectangular panel 91 whose lower edges 92 and 93 have a plurality of spaced grommets through which lacing 94 is passed. The lacing extends around the stringers 24 and 26 and firmly connects the rectangular panels 91 of the cover 90 to the frame. A formed back panel 95 is sewed or otherwise joined to the rear edge of panel 91 and has lacing 96 connecting it to the rear sill member 36. Front gusset 97 is joined to the upper front edge of panel 91 and extends in front of the bow 14. Flap $8 is sewed or otherwise joined on the inner surface of the front edge 99 of panel 91 and receives lacing in the grommets thereof, this lacing also passing through grommets in flap 100 which is formed as the front edge 99 of panel 91. The last mentioned lacing, which may be a separate piece or continuation of lacing 94, firmly joins the cover to the front bow 14.

A flexible door is arranged across the open front of the portable enclosure. It is hung on a transverse hanger 122 constructed of pipe, tubing, etc., and held in place by means of clamps 124 and 126 which are constructed similar to the clamps of Figure 4. These clamps attach the hanger to the sides of front bow 14. Rings 130 are attached to the upper edge 132 of the panel 134 from which closure 120 is formed, by means of loops 136 which are stitched or otherwise held in place.

There are grommets along one vertical edge of panel 134 and a part of the lacing to pass through in attaching the non-movable edge of the closure in place. The

opposite edge of the closure is reinforced by strip 140 which is connected, as by rows of stitching 142 to panel 134, and loops 144 are attached to this reinforced edge of panel 134. Hooks 146 are supported by loops 144, and they are adapted to engage a part of the lacing of the side of the portable enclosure or some other convenient means to accommodate these hooks.

Although one preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. For example, cotter pins or keys 61, 62 and 70 have been specifically mentioned. It is understood that the cotter keys may be substituted by pins of some other type. The same thing prevails in connection with the studs 34 and 52; they may be of hollow or solid construction. Although six bows are described a greater or lesser number of such bows may be used and moreover, the sizes thereof may be altered. This may be done, for example, to construct a dog house and to construct a companion garage. The dog house may require only three bows whereas, the garage to hold a modern automobile should have six bows.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A portable enclosure comprising a frame having a substantially rectangular base made of a pair of parallel stringers and a pair of transverse sill members separably joined to said stringers, a plurality of bows, means separably connecting said bows to said stringers, a ridge pole, means separably connecting said ridge pole to the front and rearmost bows and resting upon the intermediate bows, and a cover which is formed to fit the frame and which is attached thereto in order to hold together the couplings which unite the stringers and bows, a transverse hanger element extending between opposite sides of said front bow, said cover having a gusset extending downwardly from the upper edge of said front bow to said hanger, and a flexible enclosure mounted on said hanger and slidable to an open and a closed position, said means separably connecting the bows to the stringers comprising elongated strips of material bent upon themselves and around said stringers and presenting bills laterally projecting therefrom, the opposite ends of said bills and the lower ends of said bows being flattened to receive said bills.

' References Cited in the fife of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 748,974 McGrath Jan. 5, 1904 1,061,547 Kennedy et al May 13, 1913 1,388,478 Nelson Aug. 23, 1921 1,583,039 Wickstrum May 4, 1926 2,363,916 Waterman et al Nov. 28, 1944 2,649,102 McDonough Aug. 18, 1953 2,705,966 Magary Apr. 12, 1955 

